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Last week, during a combined address by American leader Donald Trump and Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset, colleague parliamentarian Ayman Odeh and I raised a sign calling for the recognition of Palestine. We were violently ejected from the parliamentary session, exposing the fragile state of what's often described as the "only democratic state in the Middle East". How can leaders talk about Middle East peace while refusing to acknowledge a people deprived of basic freedoms and entitlements under decades-long military control?

The Situation in the West Bank

In no place is the hypocrisy more apparent than in the controlled West Bank. There, talk of peace seem distant and faint, while the terrifying sounds of settler violence and intimidation continue loudly. Over 30 occurrences of settler aggression against Palestinians have been recorded since the announcement of the Trump administration's peace proposal in late September, including physical assaults, stealing of crops, and torching of vehicles and property.

Targeted Aggression During Agricultural Period

The increase in violence by colonists is deliberate. This period signals the beginning of agricultural harvesting. More than a crucial economic activity, it represents an significant communal and cultural moment that shows endurance under military rule. Exactly for these reasons, annually colonists target Palestinians throughout this crucial period. During the last year's agricultural period, human rights organizations documented 113 distinct incidents of violence, harassment, harvest-thwarting, or damage to olive trees and crops involving settlers and soldiers, which occurred on lands belonging to 51 Palestinian communities, towns, and areas.

Israeli military appeared to have played a larger role in hindering the harvesting season

Yesh Din also discovered that "Israel's military appeared to have had a larger part in obstructing the olive harvest". In approximately 70% of cases where entry to farmland was violently prevented, soldiers, border guards, and settler civilian security coordinators were actually present. They either personally prevented Palestinian farmers from accessing and harvesting their property, or neglected to prevent colonists who harassed or assaulted them.

Political Backing for Settler Activities

This is no surprise, as the leader of the settlers' political party, Bezalel Smotrich, was appointed as an extra minister in the Ministry of Defence in charge of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. In one village, for instance, a particular military coordination team uprooted personally-owned olive trees of local residents, claiming lack of permits, but ignored infractions by an unauthorized adjacent settler outpost. Last week, the local court ruled to stop all construction in the outpost, which was constructed on property seized by Israel and unlawfully given to colonists.

Takeover Ambitions and Global Reaction

In the controlled West Bank, settler terrorism is simply a tool used by the administration to achieve de-facto annexation. Recently, Smotrich headed a march of thousands of settlers in support of annexation the West Bank. He was quoted as stating, "We are continuing to take hold with our presence of the territory with many pioneers, numerous heroes, and hundreds of thousands of settlers who reside in this area of the territory ... we must to normalise it and establish it permanently."

The settlers and their supporters in the Knesset are explicit about their intentions and intentions. Why, then, do political leaders in the Western nations hesitate from substantial sanctions and political actions? Smotrich was penalized by the UK in the summer, but the effect of the sanction has been minimal. He may not be permitted to go to the United Kingdom and tour the West End, but he still enjoys the governmental authority to seize lands in the West Bank. Even in the announcement of penalties, the British government highlighted they apply "in his personal capacity" solely.

International Recognition and Actual Situation

If the British administration recognizes the truth of colonist aggression and its grave implications on Palestinian existence, why does it still permit settlement produce to be sold in stores and shops in the UK? If Starmer is genuine about acknowledging Palestinian statehood as a state, how can he allow the Israeli administration to violate its sovereignty with such aggressive methods? Or was the acknowledgment an hollow ploy to shut down opposition in the United Kingdom, a meaningless gesture only to be implemented in the relabeling of some cartographic representations?

Pathway to Genuine Resolution

A fair peace must honor the fundamental rights of the Palestinian population for self-determination, independence, and freedom from occupation and blockade. Only when every person's worth across the Jordan River and sea is honored can we truly say peace has been attained.

Genuine resolution demands an sovereign Palestinian state next to the Israeli state: this is the sole solution that has consensus among the international community, the Palestinian national movement, and the Israeli peace camp.

Trump may have applied influence on the Israeli leader to halt the genocide, but he probably only did so because the burden of his connection with the pariah regime of the Israeli PM had become excessive. The mass protests across the globe for the freedom of Palestinian territories, and the persistent anti-government protests within the country, are the real factors behind this pressure.

It is thanks to this massive public campaign that a ceasefire has been agreed, the hostages released, and the residents of Gaza can experience safeguard from destruction. Following the ceasefire agreement has been signed, it is crucial to continue applying this influence. The world has turned a blind eye to the atrocities in the strip for too long; it must not repeat the same error in the West Bank.